London pub ‘refused gay group drinks’

The Licensing Act 2003 contains provision for an authorised person (someone with the authority of the Premises Licence holder), to refuse entry to any person or ask them to leave without giving a reason.


Failure to leave a licensed premises when asked to do so is a criminal offence under the Act.


However it is very clear that you cannot refuse service, refuse entry or ask someone to leave based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or any other form of discrimination.


The provision to refuse entry is there to deal with people who are being disruptive, aggressive, drunk or who are involved in criminal activity, etc.


It is amazing that in 2010 there are still people running businesses which not only discriminate against sections of our communities, but have not realised the commercial advantage of going out of their way to make them feel welcome.


Whatever happened in this particular case I think any suggestion that Punch Taverns would do anything but condemn such behaviour is farfetched. However where discrimination rears its ugly head, nothing short of a full investigation and swift corrective action would be acceptable.


At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;


• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.


Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 6th June 2010

Met: England shirt pub ban is just a myth

Some licensing authorities and the police have imposed restriction in the face of possible disorder surrounding the World Cup, with restrictions on capacity and curbs on tournament linked promotion. However these have largely been a response to local issues with crime and disorder rather than national policies.


The licensed trade has been looking forward to this injection of business for 2 years since the sudden down-turn devastated parts of the industry.


Many pubs and clubs will be promoting the games which are all on terrestrial television, advertising which are being shown at their premises. You can rest easy that the reports that a ban on England shirts, flags etc. in pubs and clubs was going to put into place are just a myth; spread in a social networking world where false information sometimes seems to travel at a speed, which we all wish our marketing could follow.


Remember that the new mandatory conditions which came into place in April ban the linking of alcohol promotions to the outcome of sports activities. So no promotions linked to goals scored, individual players achievements or any match related activity please.


Enjoy the world cup, enjoy the ‘bounty’ it should bring, be sensible with your promotions, but don’t hold back from promoting the country; adorn your premises with flags, bunting, posters, chalkboards and make it well known that the world cup can be watched in a safe and friendly environment; and in your countries national team shirt.


Let’s hope the team do well and go a long way in the competition. Come on England!… and Brazil, Spain, North Korea, South Africa, Australia etc… (remember there is valuable income to be made from the many different communities throughout the UK, don’t let your allegiance limit your business)


At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;


• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.


Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 25th May 2010

Boy, 17, dies at Rooney club do

It is a sad reflection on our society and the press that the headline and substance of this story is the presence of Wayne Rooney at the club rather than the tragic death of a young man.


If we look past the flippant headline it provides us with an example of the challenges faced by the licensed trade and the importance of doing everything in our power as alcohol retailers to ensure that we uphold the licensing objectives.


This is no reflection on the club in question, as we are unaware at this stage of all the pertinent fact in this case; but promoting objectives of ‘the protection of children from harm’ and ‘prevention of crime and disorder’ should feature heavily in this case.


Under licensing law children are considered to be persons under the age of 18 years. Providing there is no specific condition on the licence of this particular club, then they are permitted to allow 17 year olds onto their premises, but they should have adequate measures in place to protect them from harm.


At any time you allow anyone under the age of 18 entry to your premises, you must put additional measures into place and go that step further to make sure they do not come to harm; through alcohol consumption or any other means.


Then there is the issue of illegal drugs being on the premises, there is however no indication that the drugs were being dealt on the premises. As well as the Licensing Act 2003 (and the licensing objective of ‘the prevention of crime and disorder’), the 1971 Drugs Misuse Act clearly sets out the heavy penalties for allowing the use or dealing of controlled drugs on licensed premises.


Above all these regulations and laws there is the duty of care we have towards our customers. Licensed premises should be places of fun, frivolity and friendliness, everyone working within the sector needs to continue to work hard towards eliminating these tragic cases from our industry.


At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;


1. The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.


Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 27th April 2010

Booze ban girl back in court

If ever evidence were needed to demonstrate that prohibition, minimum pricing or further restriction on licensing hours were not the solution to alcohol related crime and disorder then here it is.


This is truly an indictment on our society as a whole and demonstrates the significant cultural hurdles which need to be overcome when a criminal record is a badge of honour, alcoholism is viewed flippantly and our criminal justice system fails the victims of crime; as well as in this case the victim of society who needs help to overcome the failings which if not resolved quickly will end up killing her.


Sadly this is exactly the kind of story which will be pounced upon to increase regulation in the Licensed Retail Sector rather than realising that it demonstrates the need to take a much more comprehensive approach, through education, legislation and cyclical cultural change.


It will not give those who think that there is an instant solution any satisfaction, but you have to ask the question; what approach would have saved Laura from her fate? Minimum pricing? Shorter licensing hours? Further legislation on licensed premises?


At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;


• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.


Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 21st April 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Concert-goers condemn crush chaos

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Concert-goers condemn crush chaosSource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th November 2009

What seems remarkable about this story is the fact that the organisers of this event were very lucky to get away with as few injuries as they did. The simple fact is that the result could have been much much worse and could easily have resulted in fatalities.

Now my comments which will follow are based on assumption, we were not involved in this event or witness to it and I comment from the news coverage and information which has so far been made available; it is for the inquiry to look at the detail.

There seem to be a few key errors from the information we have so far.

The first and possibly the worst is the estimation of the numbers who would attend. With the line up of artistes playing appealing to a range of the demographic (including JLS currently appearing top of the charts with a large fan base of young people and Natalie Imbruglia appealing to a older section of the population), the concert would attract not just one section of the community but the whole community. This may be good as far as variety of the event goes, but will naturally attract more people in total. In addition the concert was free which removes another barrier for young people, especially those who may not be able to afford the usual concert ticket price.

The only real surprise with the numbers is that only 20,000 turned out and here is the first place where the organisers had some luck, had the weather been better they may well have had many more attend. JLS alone could sell out an arena tour at the moment, with 10,000 – 15,000 attendees each and at £30+ a ticket… who didn’t envisage that a free concert may attract twice this number?

Now we are not privy to the police plan or the risk assessments that must have been carried out by the organisers and the security companies involved. However the other questions which we must ask from what is seen in the cctv footage is how entry to the event was protected.

Presumably the cctv footage which is out there is of the holding area outside the event itself. It should have been predicted that thousands of people would be in this area. One of the main questions for us is what type of barrier was used, because from the evidence an unsuitable choice was made and led to collapse without too much pressure being exerted on it. This is probably the second area where the organisers got very lucky, although many of the injuries occurred during the barrier collapse, had the barriers been slightly stronger (not the correct barrier choice which would have withstood the pressure but something in-between) the effect of the collapse could have been catastrophic.

By collapsing when they did, this failure actually relieved the pressure in the crowd (what occurred in the event itself where those people moved to we are unaware, but could have caused further problems). Here again we feel that the organisers got a little lucky.

The way the barriers were set up in this area meant that as the crowd built up there was no way for people at the front to leave. There is a distinct ‘V’ shape and ‘right angle’ at the focal point of this crowd towards which the entire crowd is pushing, thus trapping those at the front. Even with a much smaller crowd this would have caused significant problems; especially without suitable crowd management behind the barriers and first aid facilities to deal with crush injuries.

Crush injuries can be very serious and a few broken bones are far from the worst consequence. Crush injuries often lead to breathing difficulties and death over very short time scales. Without experienced crowd management and paramedic support who understand crowd dynamics, these are the inevitable outcomes.

The questions here should not be about the numbers of police or private sector security nor should any blame be put on ‘people being determined to get in…’ as there is no indication that those in the crowds were behaving in any other way than would be expected for such an event. This was not a riot, civil disturbance or protest, it was enthusiastic (mainly young) people trying to get into a free event. Initially at least the cause does seem to be poor planning and execution.

Beyond The Blue provide training and Consultancy in a number of different areas including Event Security Planning and Event Management.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

How the middle classes still treat themselves to the best – by stealing

Unfortunately the Times On-line has started charging, so we can not link to this article. The Daily Mail covered the same story Click Here to view)

Title – How the middle classes still treat themselves to the best – by stealingSource – The Times
Date – 10th November 2009

The recession / the credit-crunch (call it what you will), has affected almost everyone to one degree or another; some have however decided that making cuts is not acceptable to them and they are going to maintain their lifestyle by whatever means they need to.

Shop-lifting has increased by 20% to £5 billion; another European league table we can be proud to top…

Shop owners beware the traditional profile of a shop-lifter has changed and high value items which may not be ‘traditional’ shop-lifter bounty are now firmly on the ‘shopping list’ of people trying to maintain their pre-credit-crunch lifestyle.

Alcohol however remains a firm favourite of traditional thieves and this new breed; alcohol stocks need to be protected more than ever.

At

Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

For larger retail outlets we also run the BIIAB National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) which allows candidates to apply for their SIA Door Supervisor Licence. This licence allows them to operate in the capacity of Door Supervisor or in Security Guarding.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Lip gloss test that spots if your drink is spiked with rape drugs / Women 'duped' by spiking myth

Title – Lip gloss test that spots if your drink is spiked with rape drugs (Evening Standard 16-10-09)
Title – Women 'duped' by spiking myth (Metro 27-10-09)

‘Date Rape’ or ‘Drug Assisted Rape / Sexual Assault’ is a serious issue, unfortunately the press have done victims and potential victims of this depraved crime no favours. If ever there was a need for a sensible approach then this subject is it.

Of coarse we welcome any device which helps reduce the risks faced from Drug Assisted Rape and this lip gloss / testing strip can be one line of defence. There are problems; how many strips are provided in comparison with the number of drink that might be consumed? How co-ordinated will an alcohol consumer be after a few drinks to remember or even be able to complete the fiddly test? But I don’t want to take anything away; something is always better than nothing.

What is much more important is education, alcohol retailers and consumers alike need to take proactive measures to prevent ‘drink spiking’ in the first place.

The first step is understanding the nature of the problem. When I ask a group I am teaching what substances are used in ‘drink spiking’, they generally refer to Rohypnol, GHB, Liquid Ecstasy, the more enlightened ones mention Ketamine, GBL, but strangely I almost always have to drag the most common drug out of them…. Alcohol.

Alcohol is the drug most commonly used in Drug Assisted Rape; fact.

I have yet to see any accurate numbers in relation to ‘drink spiking’. There are horror stories written in the press, but in reality that we may never see accurate figures, for the reasons highlighted in this second article. Sadly I would agree from experience that in many cases people now scream ‘drink spiking’ because they are embarrassed or unsure of how they got so drunk. The fact is those working in the Licensed Retail Sector have to take every potential case seriously and can never dismiss the potential consequences of a real drink spiking as exaggeration or an excuse.

If we consider that because of excess alcohol consumption many people have had nights they can’t remember (or part of the night); that alcohol is the most frequently used ‘date rape’ drug; that Ketamine now being used ‘recreationally’ as a drug of choice by 125,000 people in the UK; and that ‘date rape’ drugs they tend not to be traceable within relatively short period of time, it makes the prospect of ever finding out the true numbers of people spiked very low.

For those in danger of having their drink spiked, education into the risks and how to protect yourself from them is the most important step. Just understanding that alcohol is the most prevalent drug used in drink spiking, should go some way to helping people understand the real dangers. Protecting your drinks, being cautious of strangers behaviour or accepting drinks from them and in some cases the use of testing kits is a start. Having friends you trust to look after you, who are loyal, unlikely to disappear half way through the night and who will ensure you get home safely is the best ways of protecting yourself.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

For young people we run the Certificate in Alcohol Awareness (CAA) which provides real honest advice on the effects of alcohol and sensible measures which can be taken to ensure that the harm that can occur as a result of excessive consumption are reduced.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Last orders for the traditional pint glass as designers answer thirst for safer drinking

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Last orders for the traditional pint glass as designers answer thirst for safer drinking
Source – The Times
Date – 24th August 2009

We need to be a little careful not to get hysterical, the traditional beer glass is not going to disappear over night, it has been around too long for that.

However we also need to embrace change and not hang on to the past for nostalgic reasons. In an age when we can visit other planets and do more with a mobile phone than my imagination could ever muster; we can surely solve the undoubted problems of the pint glass.

It is sad that we have to design out the issue of the pint glass being used as a weapon rather than ‘design out’ those who would use it as such, but in some establishments this looks like it will be the only way.

But this initiative seems to accept that the final product needs to be functional and most importantly acceptable to the customer. We have long said that the policy of forcing premises to use plastic or polycarbonates is the easy option and is not always fit for purpose.

It may mean that there are no glasses which people can use as weapons, but there are always other weapons around which can be used by people intent on causing harm (I admit they may not cause as much harm) but they set the tone for a premises; a tone which is a ‘contributory factor’ and ‘trigger’ to disorder and violence.

You can’t get away from it, the more you distrust and patronise people the more they will behave accordingly. Finding an alternative glass which meets the needs of the trade and the demands of the customer should be welcomed. As an industry the

Licensed Retail Sector should get behind any new development and give their positive input to ensure the final product meets their needs and that of their customers; the alternatives currently on the market don’t and unless a solution is found local authorities are likely to increasingly add conditions involving mandatory use of these available alternatives.

Protecting customers and employees should be near the top of anyone working in the sector and this could be a step in the right direction if it meets the needs of all the stake holders; starting with the customer (without whose approval, it will ultimately be a waste). If we can make glass bulletproof to protect presidents, surely technology can be developed to protect our customers.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Security Industry. These include; The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) designed for those who require an SIA Door Supervisor Licence; In-House Security Induction (IHSI) which helps our clients train candidates in the specific systems of the premises in which they will be working and meet the SIA recommendation that all security operatives receive bespoke further training above their statutory requirements in the specifics of the premises in which they will operate; Physical Intervention (PI) for those who are required in their role to face and deal with violence in their workplace and may be required to restrain and / or escort aggressive customers; our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

On-the-spot fines blamed for keeping crimes out of court

To view the original articles Click Here

Title – On-the-spot fines blamed for keeping crimes out of court
Source – The Times
Date 5th May 2009

It seems that the system for prosecuting offenders is in a bit of a mess; more importantly has lost the confidence of much of the public and by the same token businesses and the employees who work within them.

On many of the courses we run, be they in the

Licensed Retail Sector or for companies that have to deal with aggressive or even violent customers or members of the public for whom we run Conflict Management courses, we hear the same comments; people are sceptical not only on the speed of response they will get if they call the police, but more importantly what the police can actually do.

Now I should say I am a great supporter of the police, I think the vast majority are in it for the right reasons and are dedicated professionals. Undoubtedly they are inward looking and somewhat isolated, but that is the fault of others rather then themselves. No matter what they do they seem to come under fire. When they take a strong approach they are accused of being overzealous and when they take a more reserved approach they are accused of being ineffective. Much like the goalkeeper in football, when they let in an easy goal they are chastised; however for the hundreds of saves they make a season, few ever receive the praise they deserve.

Add to this the pressure they feel being hamstrung by legislation that seems to favour the criminal, be unenforceable or ineffective and it becomes not only a job for the brave and dedicated but one for the exceptionally patient as well.

The problem with all of this is it lets too many people down. Because of the lack of confidence people have in the system they also lack confidence or the will to challenge it and rather choose to turn a blind eye which exasperates the whole situation.

The law is not a complete ass and having an understanding of the law gives you more confidence to make it work, be that as a Personal Licence Holder or as an individual facing issues of Workplace Violence. There will be many situations where punishments simply don’t fit the crime; I have yet to meet someone who has been assaulted who felt that the punishment (if any) handed out to the perpetrator came even close to being proportionate. Those who are assaulted in the course of their duties, tend to feel even more frustrated; they feel not only are the punishments not there to deter offenders or punish them, but that if they themselves take any action they are likely to be the one prosecuted.

This is simply not true; well at least it is not true if you understand the law, have professional and well trained staff and take a proactive approach to preventing such instances happening in the first place.

At Beyond The Blue our whole ethos is to prevent such occurrences happening ‘out of the blue’ and helping our clients see ‘Beyond The Blue’. During many of our courses we look at the law and at ways to make it work; not to make it work in your favour, but simply to ‘make it work’; contrary to what many might believe the law does work, unfortunately many ‘criminals’ ‘understand’ the law better than those they commit crimes against. This leads to what can feel like a criminal justice system which leans towards the criminal.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the licensed retail sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Schools hire bouncers for ‘crowd control’ in the classroom

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Schools hire bouncers for ‘crowd control’ in the classroom
Source – The Independent
Date –13th April 2009

I don’t think it would be wise for me to start talking about the merits of employing security staff (I will not lower myself to that standard of the press who still insist on referring to qualified door supervisors as bouncers) in schools, in the place of absent teachers; as that would open too many doors. However this story does show the extreme version of the many different areas in which qualified door supervisors and security guards can operate.

It was not that long ago we discussed a story regarding their placement in libraries (see

Bouncers bring thugs to book at the library)

Security is a going concern and a growing industry. Like it or not security issues are now an essential topic at board meetings across the UK’s major companies and an essential consideration for medium and small businesses alike. With the approach of the Olympics, this interest is going to grow and the opportunities are going to be there for licensed operatives to take advantage of.

I’m not sure security (in this form at least) in schools is a growth industry, but there are many different opportunities out there for full and part time professionals.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Security Industry. These include; The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) designed for those who require an SIA Door Supervisor Licence; In-House Security Induction (IHSI) which helps our clients train candidates in the specific systems of the premises in which they will be working and meet the SIA recommendation that all security operatives receive bespoke further training above their statutory requirements in the specifics of the premises in which they will operate; Physical Intervention (PI) for those who are required in their role to face and deal with violence in their workplace and may be required to restrain and / or escort aggressive customers; our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Cleared, the householder who killed intruder with shotgun

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Cleared, the householder who killed intruder with shotgun
Source – The Times
Date –12th March 2009

Although not work related this case once again highlights the effectiveness of common law as a defence in a criminal prosecution. Although an extreme and tragic example, which is a little confused with the introduction of the ‘accidental discharge’ element of the case, it still acts as a useful example of the right of self-defence we all have whether at work or not.

It goes without saying that the use of deadly force is not an option that anyone should be taking as a serious consideration in resolving any sort of conflict. However an understanding of the basic principles of criminal and common law will go some way to helping individual who face workplace violence in all its forms, understand the limitations of their actions.

When physical force or the threat of physical force is used against us in any capacity we have the right to defend ourselves under common law. The first and most important act of self-defence is to look at ways of resolving the conflict or at the very least managing it so that it does not turn violent. The simplest and most effective means of achieving this may be to simply walk away and under the law, if this is an option, it should be taken otherwise subsequent actions may be indefensible.

However in the workplace this is not always possible, either because of physical barriers, but more often because the work role means we have to act to defend others or property, which are effectively similar to defending ourselves. In these cases an understanding of the law not only provides boundaries to our actions, but enables us to act in a manner that will be defensible should a prosecution subsequently arise be that criminal or civil.

It is a very fine line sometimes between self-defence and assault, we help candidates stay comfortably on the right side of this line. We help them understand that any physical action must be avoided, unless absolutely and legally necessary. Our

Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course provides candidates with systems and strategies to proactively avoid reaching this stage in the first place. Our Physical Intervention (PI) course teaches candidates how to effectively intervene when required, with techniques which are low-impact and professional and which are defensible in court as appropriate to the circumstances.

At Beyond The Blue we run courses for candidates from many different sectors who face any form of Workplace Violence both from threats, harassment, aggression and physical violence.

We also run a number of courses for those working in the Security Industry. These include; The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) designed for those who require an SIA Door Supervisor Licence; In-House Security Induction (IHSI) trains candidates in the specific systems of the premises in which they will be working and meets the SIA recommendation that all security operatives receive bespoke further training above their statutory requirements in relation to the premises and role in which they will operate; Physical Intervention (PI) for those who are required in their role to face and deal with violence in their workplace and may be required to restrain and / or escort aggressive customers; our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Deputy who denies cell assault on girl is captured by surveillance camera

Title – Deputy who denies cell assault on girl is captured by surveillance cameraSource – The Times
Date –2nd March 2009

Now it is always important not to prejudge these kinds of cases before the full story is known or court proceedings have taken place, but anyone viewing this footage can be in no doubt that this is an attack on a 15 year old without justification.

That it takes place in the US is of little consequence for our purposes. I have posted this here as a good example of excessive force (with the assumption that no extraordinary defence comes forward). A ‘prisoner’ kicking a shoe with no real aggression at a ‘deputy’, simply does not merit this reaction. Is the deputy really in any danger?

The ‘use of force’ is always relative and for anyone working in an environment where they have contact with the public or where they may be required to physically intervene as part of their duties, having a sound understanding of what constitutes the legal use of force and what constitutes a criminal assault is absolutely vital.

Both Criminal Law and Common Law are covered in many of our courses in respect of the ‘use of force’. There are situations where the extreme use of force is justified under common law, but any use of force must always be a last resort and only used when all other options have been exhausted, including the ability to leave the area.

It is a very fine line sometimes between self-defence and assault, we help candidates stay well on the right side of this line and we help them understand that any physical action must be avoided, unless absolutely and legally necessary. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course provides you with systems and strategies to proactively avoid reaching this stage in the first place. Our Physical Intervention (PI) course teaches candidates how to effectively intervene when required, with techniques that are low-impact and professional and which will not result in scenes such as the one which occurred here in Washington State.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Security Industry. These include; The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) designed for those who require an SIA Door Supervisor Licence; In-House Security Induction (IHSI) which helps our clients train candidates in the specific systems of the premises in which they will be working and meet the SIA recommendation that all security operatives receive bespoke further training above their statutory requirements in the specifics of the premises in which they will operate; Physical Intervention (PI) for those who are required in their role to face and deal with violence in their workplace and may be required to restrain and / or escort aggressive customers; our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Mansell takes on minder as shortcut to security

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Mansell takes on minder as shortcut to security
Source – The Times
Date –17th February 2009

I doubt that this will spell the end of the close protection officer in either the private or public sector; certainly our colleagues who work in these areas see this type of development as simply another tool in their arsenal.

The difference being that these dogs are not being ‘run’ by handlers, but rather by the 'principle' themselves. However any addition to the protection of individuals is welcomed and these dogs will suit some better than others.

Close protection is not an area in which we currently work, however some of our instructors do work as close protection operatives in the private sector and we are happy to introduce them to our clients.

Our focus is on security in terms of premises or businesses, but our approach is that we take systems and methodology from all those areas in which we have vast experience and transfer successful techniques from one sector to another to provide innovative solution to our client’s security requirements.

At

Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Security Industry. These include; The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) designed for those who require an SIA Door Supervisor Licence; In-House Security Induction (IHSI) which helps our clients train candidates in the specific systems of the premises in which they will be working and meet the SIA recommendation that all security operatives receive bespoke further training above their statutory requirements in the specifics of the premises in which they will operate; Physical Intervention (PI) for those who are required in their role to face and deal with violence in their workplace and may be required to restrain and / or escort aggressive customers; our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Ecstasy ‘not worse than riding’

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Ecstasy ‘not worse than riding’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 7th February 2009

The decision regarding the reclassification of Ecstasy is due soon and it looks like the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is set to recommend that a downgrading from class A to class B occurs.

Having said that the current government ignored their advice on the reclassification of cannabis and few would be greatly surprised to see them ignore this latest advice. Any downgrading is seen as a sign of weakness and political opinion, especially in relation to drug policy, will make it difficult to be seen to be ‘weak on drugs’.

In this context the comment that ‘Ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse’ seems somewhat frivolous. I have not read the piece of academic work from which it comes and maybe it has been taken out of context, but the fact is it has been reported.

But there is no point in trying to justify the comment, clearly the two activities are worlds apart and ‘the comment’ seems to have been made only in the context of the annual deaths from each activity. Naturally this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as illegal drugs sales go; horse riding hardly has the terrible detrimental affect on communities that drugs and drug dealing does.

There also seems to be little reference to the unknown and unproven long term effects of Ecstasy use which researches have in the past called a ‘time-bomb’ waiting to happen.

So let’s put this to one side and consider the real issues for us and that is the impact that illegal drugs can have on our businesses, our employees and our customers.

In any business there can only be one approach to illegal drugs and that is the adoption of a ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’ and enforcement of that policy through Drug Awareness training. We can provide you with this training and using training aids such as our

Drugs Box our training provides realistic and client focussed training which your employees can relate to.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness (NCLDA). For other sectors our bespoke Drug Awareness (DA) courses, which examine illegal drugs, their effects and the drug litter synonymous with their use, are specifically designed to reflect the nature of our clients working environment. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course complements these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and drug related behaviour.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Fireworks blamed as 60 killed at nightclub

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Fireworks blamed as 60 killed at nightclubSource – The Times
Date – 1st & 3rd December 2008

Many might argue what place a fire in a nightclub in Bangkok has in this section of our blog, but I argue it has a very important role.

We are always hearing cries of ‘nanny state’ here in the UK, people complain of regulation, regulation and more regulation. In the area of

Fire Safety there are very good reasons why the authorities go on about it; the consequences of getting it wrong can be devastating.

We are fortunate not to have had a fire disaster here in the UK of this magnitude for some years now, but complacency is our most serious threat. With the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the emphasis was placed on the business to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment and not on the fire service. Every business must have a Fire Risk Assessment in place and it must be effective and meet all the statutory requirements. It must also be regularly reviewed and any actions highlighted must be taken.

All employees should receive Fire Safety Training and understand prevention and evacuation measures in place.

What we can learn from the Bangkok disaster is that those things we take for granted are always the ones which cause high death tolls in these tragedies. It is not just that fireworks and sparklers were allowed in the club, they may have started the fire; but what leads to high death tolls tends to be in the design and management of the premises. Even at this early stage there seems only to have been one exit, bars on the windows, no emergency lighting, no co-ordinated evacuation procedure, doors blocked or welded shut, overcrowding, no fire proofing of building materials, no separation or suitable fire fighting equipment and no regulation.

Anyone of these factors could lead to disaster, additional injury or casualties; combined they are a recipe for disaster. Sadly that is exactly what happened.

We should really look at these events and be grateful for the strict regulation we have in the UK, but having said that, go now and look round your premises and check: Is the Fire Risk Assessment up-to-date? Are the fire exits blocked or locked? Does the emergency lighting, fire alarm and fire fighting equipment work and is it serviced regularly? Is the fire signage in place? Are all employees Trained in Fire Safety and evacuation? Is the capacity of the premises strictly observed? Are fire safety procedures strictly observed?

Where any of these questions can not be answered or procedures, facilities and systems are either not in place or being observed, resolve them as a matter of urgency, call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us at Beyond The Blue. We can help you to meet your statutory requirements and more importantly meet fire safety standards that protect you, your employees and your business.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.